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UV8378
Rev. Feb. 14, 2022

Coke Puts Its Brand between a Rock and a Hard Place:

Aligning Activism with Brand Purpose

On March 1, 2021, the Georgia House of Representatives passed Bill 531 by a vote of 97-72. According to
the bill’s sponsor and chair of the House Special Committee on Election Integrity, Republican Barry Fleming,
the bill included voting reforms that were “designed to begin to bring back the confidence of our voters back
into our election system.”1 Georgia governor Brian Kemp further claimed the bill “expands access to the polls
and ensures the integrity of the ballot box.”2

Two days later, on March 3, an article published in Popular Information suggested that the bill was created to
“restrict voting” and “significantly suppress voting in Georgia…in a way that would disproportionately impact
the Black community.”3 The article exposed information indicating The Coca-Cola Company (Coke) had
donated over $34,000 to sponsors of legislation designed to restrict voting. The article further highlighted that
while Coke was funding such efforts, the company had publicly embraced voting rights in prior ads. For
example, the company’s Sprite brand aired an ad that said: “Sprite is committed to supporting young Black
creators & artists and the reasons why they vote.”4 When Coke was asked if the firm supported House Bill 531,
the company stated:

Voting is a foundational right in America, and we will continue to work to advance voting rights and
access in Georgia and across the country. We support efforts by the Metro Atlanta Chamber and the
Georgia Chamber of Commerce to help facilitate a balanced approach to the elections bills that have
been introduced in the Georgia Legislature this session. The ultimate goal should be fair, secure
elections where access to voting is broad-based and inclusive.5

In response, groups including the Black Voters Matter Fund, the New Georgia Project Action Fund, and
the Georgia NAACP suggested that companies should take a clear stand and began urging Coke and other
companies, via social media and news outlets, to condemn the new Georgia voting legislation. Cliff Albright,
cofounder of Black Voters Matter, a group focused on increasing Black Americans’ voting access, indicated:

1 Stephen Fowler, “Georgia House Passes Elections Bill That Would Limit Absentee and Early Voting,” NPR, March 1, 2021,

https://www.npr.org/2021/03/01/972631655/georgia-house-passes-elections-bill-that-would-limit-absentee-and-early-voting (accessed Jul. 27, 2021).

2 Lori Robertson and Eugene Kiely, “Fact Checking Claims about the Georgia Voting Law,” Fact Check, April 6, 2021,

https://www.factcheck.org/2021/04/factchecking-claims-about-the-georgia-voting-law/ (accessed Aug. 10, 2021).

3 Judd Legum and Tesnim Zekeria, “The Georgia Legislators Pushing Voter Suppression Bills Are Backed by Millions in Corporate Cash,” Popular

Information, March 3, 2021, https://popular.info/p/georgia (accessed Jul. 27, 2021).

4 https://popular.info/p/georgia.
5 https://popular.info/p/georgia.

This field-based case was prepared by Kimberly A. Whitler, Associate Professor of Business Administration; David Wooten, Associate Dean, Alfred L.
Edwards Collegiate Professor, and University Diversity & Social Transformation Professor, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan; and Liam
Nolan (UVA ’24). A special thanks to Dr. Christopher Puto (President Emeritus, Spring Hill College) for providing input. It was written as a basis for
class discussion rather than to illustrate effective or ineffective handling of an administrative situation. Copyright  2021 by the University of Virginia
Darden School Foundation, Charlottesville, VA. All rights reserved. To order copies, send an email to sales@dardenbusinesspublishing.com. No part of this
publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise—without the permission of the Darden School Foundation. Our goal is to publish materials of the highest quality, so please submit any errata to
editorial@dardenbusinesspublishing.com.

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“Some of these companies have made beautiful statements for Black Lives Matter. Yet here, in the moment
where it matters most, they have been silent.”6

In support of this effort, billboards were constructed urging Coke to oppose the bill.7 One such sign
showed: “Hey Coca-Cola! The Freedom to vote tastes good to all Georgians. Join us: STAND UP for
Georgia.”8 On March 12, 2021, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce released a statement expressing “concern
and opposition” to elements of the bill. In response, Coke issued a statement indicating that it was “aligned”
with the Chamber’s comments. According to the Washington Post, the activist groups put additional pressure on
companies to do more, saying that “the state’s Black voters, who make up 30 percent of the state’s electorate
and have billions in collective spending power, are watching.”9

Subsequently, on March 25, 2021, Senate Bill 202, also known as the “Election Integrity Act of 2021,” was
signed into law by Kemp.10 Senate Bill 202 included elements of House Bill 531 but was more comprehensive.
See Appendix 1 for an overview of the bill and for detailed descriptions of how members of each political
party viewed the legislation. See Exhibit 1 for survey data on aspects of the bill.

As soon as the bill was signed, activists in Georgia began organizing a boycott of Coke for failing to oppose
the bill.11 On April 2, 2021, Major League Baseball announced its objections to the law and indicated it would
not hold the All-Star game in Georgia.12 In response, Coke released a statement declaring that it had been
“active with the Metro Atlanta Chamber in expressing our concerns and advocating for positive change in
voting legislation. We…sought improvements that would enhance accessibility, maximize voter participation,
maintain election integrity and serve all Georgians. We will continue to identify opportunities for engagement
and improvements aimed at promoting and protecting the right to vote in our home state and elsewhere.”13 On
March 31, 2021, James Quincey (chairman and CEO of Coke) said during an interview on CNBC: “Let me be
crystal clear and unequivocal. This legislation is unacceptable. It is a step backward and it does not promote
principles we have stood for in Georgia around broad access to voting, around voter convenience, about
ensuring election integrity.”14

As Coke shifted its position, the pendulum swung as conservative politicians and activists began advocating
for boycotts. The Georgia House Republican Caucus sent a letter to Kevin Parry, president of the Georgia
Beverage Association, on April 3, 2021, requesting the removal of all Coke products from an office suite:

…your company has made the conscious decision to perpetuate a national dialogue which seeks to
intentionally mislead the citizens of Georgia and deepen a divide in our great State. We have the
responsibility to all of Georgia to not engage in those misguided intentions nor continue to support

6 Alexandra Ulmer, “Civil Rights Groups Urge Companies to Join Fight against Georgia Voting Restrictions,” Reuters, March 5, 2021,

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-politics-georgia/civil-rights-groups-urge-companies-to-join-fight-against-georgia-voting-restrictions-
idUSKBN2AX19A (accessed Jul. 27, 2021).
7 Nicole Chavez, “Georgia Groups Are Lobbying Coca-Cola and Other Corporations over Voting Rights,” CNN, March 15, 2021,

https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/15/politics/georgia-voting-rights-billboard-campaign/index.html (accessed Jul. 27, 2021).

8 https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/15/politics/georgia-voting-rights-billboard-campaign/index.html.
9 Christopher Ingraham, “Georgia Business Community Expresses Concern over Voting Restrictions,” Washington Post, March 15, 2021,

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/03/15/georgia-voting-business/ (accessed Jul. 27, 2021).

10 Stephen Fowler, “Georgia Governor Signs Election Overhaul, Including Changes to Absentee Voting,” NPR, March 25, 2021,

https://www.npr.org/2021/03/25/981357583/georgia-legislature-approves-election-overhaul-including-changes-to-absentee-vot (accessed Jul. 29,

2021).
11 Graig Graziosi, “Coca-Cola Boycotted over Georgia Voting Rights Bill,” Independent, March 25, 2021,
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/georgia-voting-bill-coca-cola-boycott-b1822572.html (accessed Jul. 27, 2021).
12 https://www.factcheck.org/2021/04/factchecking-claims-about-the-georgia-voting-law/.
13 Coca-Cola Company, “Statement on Georgia Voting Legislation,” Public Now, March 25, 2021,
https://www.publicnow.com/view/458047331DBF24213CE56DF76ADECC977E661B8C (accessed Aug. 9, 2021).
14 Hannah Denham and Jena McGregor, “Georgia Sports Teams and Major Companies Such as Coca-Cola and Delta Air Lines Condemn New State

Voting Law,” Washington Post, March 31, 2021, https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/03/31/georgia-voting-law-companies/ (accessed Jul.
27, 2021).

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corporations who choose to. [Senate Bill] 202 expands early voting opportunities, provides for a
pathway to ensure shorter voting lines, secures the use of drop boxes which otherwise would be illegal,
as well as several other provisions allowing all Georgians greater access to fast, secure and transparent
elections. Given Coke’s choice to cave to the pressure of an out of control cancel culture, we
respectfully request all Coca-Cola Company products be removed from our office suite immediately.
Should Coke choose to read the bill, share its true intentions and accept their role in the dissemination
of mistruths, we would welcome a conversation to rebuild a working relationship.15

In addition, officials in Surry County, North Carolina, voted to remove Coke machines from all government
facilities on May 17, 2021, citing the firm’s “corporate political commentary favoring the Democratic Party.”16
Commissioner Ed Harris indicated: “Our Board felt that that was the best way to take a stand and express our
disappointment in Coca-Cola’s actions, which are not representative of most views of our citizens.”17 In a letter
sent to Quincey, Harris suggested: “Michael Jordan once said ‘Republicans buy sneakers too’ when asked why
he didn’t make public comments about politics. Citizens of Surry County and across America are growing
increasingly tired of large multinational corporations and their CEOs pushing an increasingly intolerant,
bigoted, left-wing, divisive political agenda on its customers.”18 Finally, Senator Rand Paul called for
Republicans to boycott Coke, saying: “If they want to boycott us why don’t we boycott them. This is the only
thing that will teach them a lesson. If Coca-Cola wants to operate in Democrat states and have only Democrats
drink them, God love ’em. We’ll see how well they do when half the country quits drinking Coca-Cola.”19

As a final statement on the topic, Coke posted the following comment on its website in July 2021:

Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of our democracy, and for decades The Coca-Cola
Company has advocated to ensure voting is easy and accessible to all eligible voters. The Voting Rights
Act of 1965 was landmark legislation that helped advance voting participation and access in our
country for five decades. As we have in the past, The Coca-Cola Company supports bi-partisan efforts
to reauthorize the Voting Rights Act, and we encourage everyone to come together to advance a core
tenet of our democracy—the foundational right to vote.20

Background on Coke, including earlier controversies and an outline of the company’s Statement of Purpose
and relevant values, can be found in Appendix 2. Additional company information can be found in
Exhibits 2–6.

15 Greg Bluestein (@bluestein), “Some Georgia Republican state legislators are removing @CocaCola products from their statehouse offices after the

Atlanta-based beverage giant criticized the new elections law. #gapol,” Twitter, April 3, 2021, 7:34 p.m.,
https://twitter.com/bluestein/status/1378491232155021316 (accessed Jul. 27, 2021).
16 Alyssa Newcomb, “North Carolina County Bans Coca-Cola Machines after Company Criticizes Georgia Voting Law,” Today, June 3, 2021,

https://www.today.com/food/north-carolina-county-bans-coca-cola-machines-after-company-criticizes-t220784 (accessed Jul. 29, 2021).

17 https://www.today.com/food/north-carolina-county-bans-coca-cola-machines-after-company-criticizes-t220784.
18 https://www.today.com/food/north-carolina-county-bans-coca-cola-machines-after-company-criticizes-t220784.
19 Dominick Mastrangelo, “Rand Paul Calls for Republicans to Boycott Coca-Cola,” Hill, April 6, 2021,
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/546704-rand-paul-calls-for-republicans-to-boycott-coca-cola (accessed Aug. 10, 2021).
20 “Statement on Voting Rights Act Reauthorization,” Coca-Cola Company, July 14, 2021, https://www.coca-colacompany.com/media-

center/voting-rights-act-reauthorization (accessed Aug. 9, 2021).

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Exhibit 1
Coke Puts Its Brand between a Rock and a Hard Place:
Aligning Activism with Brand Purpose
University of Georgia Survey Regarding the Voting Reform Legislation (April 20, 2021)

Question: The Georgia Legislature has recently passed legislation changing the state’s election system. Do you support or
oppose the following: Requiring voters include their Driver’s license number for verification in order to case an absentee
ballot by mail?
Democrat Independent Republican Male Female White Black Other
Support 35.3 53.9 93.3 65.3 64.0 75.8 41.2 60.0
Oppose 60.8 39.5 5.5 30.6 33.5 22.3 53.1 36.0
Don’t Know 3.9 6.6 1.2 4.1 2.4 1.9 5.7 4.0

Do you support or oppose the following: Mandating two Saturdays of early in-person voting?
Democrat Independent Republican Male Female White Black Other
Support 61.3 77.6 86.3 73.7 76.7 84.2 56.5 72.5
Oppose 32.2 17.1 9.6 20.5 18.9 10.6 38.9 38.9
Don’t Know 6.4 5.3 4.1 5.8 4.5 5.2 4.6 4.6

Do you support or oppose the following: Allowing the state to take over underperforming county election operations?
Democrat Independent Republican Male Female White Black Other
Support 18.5 22.4 49.8 40.3 29.4 41.4 19.1 29.4
Oppose 72.5 64.5 34.9 48.1 56.6 43.3 74.8 49.0
Don’t Know 9.0 13.2 15.4 11.6 14.0 15.3 6.1 21.6

Do you support or oppose the following: Continuing to allow the use of drop boxes for absentee ballots, but only placing
them in county election offices and early voting sites?
Democrat Independent Republican Male Female White Black Other
Support 34.7 47.4 73.6 57.2 52.6 60.8 42.9 47.1
Oppose 63.9 43.4 23.1 38.7 43.3 35.5 53.3 43.1
Don’t Know 1.4 9.2 3.4 4.1 4.1 3.7 3.8 9.8

Do you support or oppose the following: Not allowing food and drinks to be given to voters waiting in line?
Democrat Independent Republican Male Female White Black Other
Support 10.9 16.0 47.8 31.7 28.0 38.6 10.7 28.0
Oppose 88.5 78.7 43.8 64.0 66.9 54.6 88.9 68.0
Don’t Know .6 5.3 8.4 4.3 5.1 6.8 .4 4.0

Do you think the recent changes made to Georgia’s election laws will make it harder for voters to cast a ballot in future
elections?
Democrat Independent Republican Male Female White Black Other
Yes 86.3 61.0 12.0 43.3 51.2 31.5 82.0 58.0
No 13.2 31.2 84.6 53.9 46.3 65.6 17.2 36.0
Don’t Know .6 7.8 3.4 2.8 2.4 3.0 .8 6.0

Some groups have been pressuring Georgia corporations like Delta and Home Depot to publicly oppose the recent
election reforms in Georgia. Should corporations take public stands on political issues or stay out of politics?
Democrat Independent Republican Male Female White Black Other
Take a stand 66.9 31.6 5.8 33.5 33.9 22.8 57.3 36.0
Stay out 28.0 61.8 91.8 62.7 62.2 74.4 37.0 58.0
Don’t know 5.0 6.6 2.1 3.8 3.9 2.8 5.7 6.0
Note: Research included Georgia registrants who self-reported as having voted in the 2020 general election.
Source: M. V. Hood III, “Georgia Voting Survey,” School of Public and International Affairs, University of Georgia, April 20, 2021.

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Exhibit 2
Coke Puts Its Brand between a Rock and a Hard Place:
Aligning Activism with Brand Purpose
The Coca-Cola Company Net Operating Revenues, 2007–20 (in billions of US dollars)

Source: Statista, 2021, https://www.statista.com/statistics/233371/net-operating-revenues-of-the-coca-

cola-company-worldwide/ (accessed Aug. 24, 2021).

Exhibit 3
Coke Puts Its Brand between a Rock and a Hard Place:
Aligning Activism with Brand Purpose
Unit Sales Volume Share of the Coca-Cola Company Worldwide by Region

Source: Statista, 2021, https://www.statista.com/topics/1392/coca-cola-company/ (accessed Aug. 24, 2021).

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Exhibit 4
Coke Puts Its Brand between a Rock and a Hard Place:
Aligning Activism with Brand Purpose
Revenue Share of the Coca-Cola Company Worldwide by Operating Segment

Source: Statista, 2021, https://www.statista.com/statistics/271136/coca-colas-revenue-distribution-worldwide-by-operating-

segment/ (accessed Aug. 24, 2021).

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Exhibit 5
Coke Puts Its Brand between a Rock and a Hard Place:
Aligning Activism with Brand Purpose
The Coca-Cola Company Purpose Statement

Source: The Coca-Cola Company, used with permission.

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Exhibit 6
Coke Puts Its Brand between a Rock and a Hard Place:
Aligning Activism with Brand Purpose
Company Purpose Letter from CEO James Quincey

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Exhibit 5 (continued)
Company Purpose Letter from CEO James Quincey

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Exhibit 5 (continued)
Company Purpose Letter from CEO James Quincey

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Exhibit 5 (continued)
Company Purpose Letter from CEO James Quincey

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Exhibit 5 (continued)
Company Purpose Letter from CEO James Quincey

Source: The Coca-Cola Company, used with permission.

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Appendix 1
Coke Puts Its Brand between a Rock and a Hard Place:
Aligning Activism with Brand Purpose
Senate Bill 202 Overview and Perspective of the Bill by Political Party

Senate Bill 202 Overview

Once House Bill 531 passed the House of Representatives, it was sent to the Georgia Senate. Once the
Senate read the bill on March 25, 2021, the bill was “engrossed” or died.1 The Senate then created a “substitute”
bill, Senate Bill 202, which included elements of House Bill 531, but was more comprehensive. Below is the
language from the introduction of Senate Bill 202.

A Bill to Be Entitled. To comprehensively revise elections and voting; to amend Chapter 2 of Title 21
of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to elections and primaries generally, so as to revise
a definition; to provide for the establishment of a voter intimidation and illegal activities hotline; to
limit the ability of the State Election Board and the Secretary of State to enter into certain consent
agreements, settlements, and consent orders; to provide that the Secretary of State shall be a nonvoting
ex officio member of the State Election Board; to provide for the appointment, confirmation, term,
and removal of the chairperson of the State Election Board; to revise provisions relating to a quorum
of such board; to require the Secretary of State to support and assist the State Election Board; to
provide for the appointment of temporary and permanent replacement superintendents; to provide
for procedures; to provide for performance reviews of local election officials requested by the State
Election Board or local governing authorities; to provide for a definition; to provide for appointment
and duties of performance review boards; to provide for reports of performance review boards; to
provide promulgation of rules and regulations; to provide additional requirements on the State
Election Board’s power to adopt emergency rules and regulations; to provide that no election
superintendents or boards of registrars shall accept private funding; to provide that the State Election
Board shall develop methods for distribution of donations; to provide that certain persons may serve
as poll workers in other than the county of their residence; to provide for the appointment of acting
election superintendents in the event of a vacancy or incapacitation in the office of judge of the
probate court of counties without a board of elections; to provide for resumption of the duties of
election superintendent upon the filling of such vacancy; to provide for the compensation of such
acting election superintendents; to provide for the reduction in size of certain precincts under certain
circumstances; to provide for notice when polling places are relocated; to provide for certain reports;
to provide limitations on the use of buses and other moveable facilities; to provide that the name and
designation of the precinct appears on every ballot; to provide for allocation of voting equipment by
counties and municipalities; to provide for the manner of handling the death of a candidate prior to a
nonpartisan election; to provide that no candidate shall take or be sworn into any elected public office
unless such candidate has received a majority of the votes cast for such office except as otherwise
provided by law; to provide for participation in a multistate voter registration system; to revise
procedures and standards for challenging electors; to provide for the printing of ballots on safety paper;
to provide for the time and manner for applying for absentee ballots; to provide for certain limitations
and sanctions on the distribution of absentee ballot applications; to provide for the manner of
processing of absentee ballot applications; to provide for absentee ballot drop boxes and the
requirements therefor; to provide for the time and manner of issuing absentee ballots; to provide for
the manner of voting and returning absentee ballots; to revise the times for advance voting; to limit

1 “Georgia House Bill 531,” LegiScan, 2021, https://legiscan.com/GA/text/HB531/id/2345812 (accessed Aug. 5, 2021).

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changes to advance voting locations in the period prior to an election; to provide notice requirements
for changes of advance voting locations; to provide for the processing and tabulation of absentee
ballots; to provide sanctions for improperly opening an absentee ballot; to provide for certain elector
identification for absentee balloting; to provide for monitors and observers; to provide for poll watcher
training; to provide for restrictions on the distribution of certain items within close proximity to the
polls on election days; to provide for the voting and processing of provisional ballots; to provide for
duplication panels for defective ballots that cannot be processed by tabulating machines; to provide
for ranked choice voting for military and overseas voters; to revise the time for runoffs; to revise
eligibility to vote in runoffs; to provide for the deadline for election certification; to provide for a pilot
program for the scanning and publishing of ballots; to provide for the inspection and copying of
original ballots by certain persons following the completion of a recount; to provide for special
primaries and special elections to fill vacancies in certain offices; to provide for public notice and
observation of preparation of voting equipment; to provide for observation of elections and ballot
processing and counting; to provide for the filling of vacancies in certain offices; to prohibit observing
or attempting to observe how a voter marks or has marked his or her ballot or inducing a voter to do
so; to prohibit the acceptance of a ballot for return without authorization; to prohibit the
photographing or other recording of ballots and ballot markers; to amend Chapter 35 of Title 36 of
the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to home rule powers, so as to provide for the delay
of reapportionment of municipal corporation election districts when census numbers are delayed; to
amend Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions regarding
state government, so as to provide for the submission and suspension of emergency rules by the State
Election Board; to provide that scanned ballot images are public records; to provide for legislative
findings; to provide a short title; to provide for related matters; to provide for effective dates; to repeal
conflicting laws; and for other purposes.2

Democrat and Republican Views of Senate Bill 202

Democrats saw Senate Bill 202 as an attempt to make voting more restrictive. Key issues included (1) a
perception that the bill would stop voting at 5:00 p.m. when most people got off work; (2) the bill’s provision
decreasing the number of drop boxes, which Democrats felt made it harder to vote; and (3) the bill’s
requirement that voters have one form of identification to vote by mail, which Democrats felt was targeting
Black Americans, who were less likely to have identification than white Americans.3 The bill also prohibited the
provision of food or water to voters waiting in line, which Democrats claimed targeted Black voters, as voting
lines tended to be longer in areas with larger Black populations, often due to fewer polling stations. Finally,
Democrats were mostly concerned with the elimination of early Sunday voting, believing that this was an
attempt to disenfranchise Black voters, who were encouraged to vote after Sunday services in an initiative
commonly known as “Souls to the Polls.”4

Republicans saw Senate Bill 202 as an attempt to fix election vulnerabilities exposed in the COVID-19
emergency practices, to expand access, and to increase legitimate voting. Rationales for provisions in the bill
included (1) drop boxes should be decreased because they invited fraud, as they potentially allowed for the
tampering of ballots; (2) preventing people from handing out food or water at polling sites would limit the
potential for interference before people cast their ballots; and (3) the requirement to have an ID or a social
security number would make postal voting more secure. See Table 1 for more detail.

2 Max Burns, Butch Miller, Michael Dugan, Frank Ginn, and Lee Anderson, “Senate Bill 202,” Georgia General Assembly, 2021,

https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20212022/201498 (accessed Aug. 9, 2021).

3 Jake Horton, “Georgia Voting: Fact-Checking Claims about the New Election Law,” BBC News, April 7, 2021, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-

us-canada-56650565 (accessed Jul. 30, 2021).

4 For perspective on the democratic view, see https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56650565.

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Table 1. Political party perspective and content from Senate Bill 202.
Issue Democrat View
Voting access “This is nothing less than a
concerted nationwide effort
to restrict voting rights
access to everyday
Americans…”
–Jonathan Diaz, an election
lawyer with the Campaign
Legal Center in
Washington5
Requiring ID “…critics argue the new
to vote by measures are likely to
mail disproportionately affect
black Americans, who are
less likely than white
Americans to have voter
identification.”8
Number of “Democrats say the new
drop boxes law reduces the number of
these boxes, making it
harder to vote.”11
Provision of “But some observers see
food or water the provision as an attempt
at polling site to curb voting by urban
voters and people of color
who lean Democratic and
whose precincts often have
long waits to cast ballots.”14
Republican View Content from Senate Bill 202
“This bill expands “More than 100 counties have never offered voting on Sunday
voting access…” and many counties offered only a single day of weekend
–Georgia governor voting. Requiring two Saturday voting days and two optional
Brian Kemp6 Sunday voting days will dramatically increase the total voting
hours for voters across the State of Georgia, and all electors in
Georgia will have access to multiple opportunities to vote in
person on the weekend for the first time;”7 (page 4)
“Virtually every person “In order to confirm the identity of the voter, such form shall
of voting age already require the elector to provide his or her name, date of birth,
has such IDs, and those address as registered, address where the elector wishes the
who do not can easily ballot to be mailed, and the number of his or her Georgia
get them. Every state driver’s license or identification card issued pursuant to Article
with an ID requirement 5 of Chapter 5 of Title 40. If such elector does not have a
issues a free ID to Georgia driver’s license or identification card issued pursuant
anyone who doesn’t to Article 5 of Chapter 5 of Title 40, the elector shall affirm
already have one. this fact in the manner prescribed in the application and the
Despite the empty elector shall provide a copy of a form of identification listed in
howls of ‘repression,’ subsection (c) of Code Section 21-2-417. The form made
states that have available by the Secretary of State shall include a space to affix
implemented ID a photocopy or electronic image of such identification. The
requirements have seen Secretary of State shall develop a method to allow secure
turnout go up, not electronic transmission of such form.”10 (pages 38–39)
down.”
–Hans von Spakovsky9
“Republicans say they “Opportunities for delivering absentee ballots to a drop box
want to ensure the were first created by the State Election Board as a pandemic
boxes will be a secure response. The drop boxes created by rule no longer existed in
way to cast a ballot.”12 Georgia law when the emergency rules that created them
expired. The General Assembly considered a variety of options
and constructed a system that allows the use of drop boxes,
while also ensuring the security of the system and providing
options in emergency situations.”13 (page 5)
“Republicans say the “(a) No person shall solicit votes in any manner or by any
move limits potential means or method, nor shall any person distribute or display
interference before any campaign material, nor shall any person give, offer to give,
people cast their or participate in the giving of any money or gifts, including, but
ballots.”15 not limited to, food and drink, to an elector….This Code
section shall not be construed to prohibit a poll officer
from…making available self-service water from an unattended
receptacle to an elector waiting in line to vote.”16 (pages 73–74)

5 Kelly Mena, Fredreka Schouten, Dianne Gallagher, and Pamela Kirkland, “Georgia Republicans Speed Sweeping Elections Bill Restricting Voting

Access into Law,” CNN, March 26, 2021, https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/25/politics/georgia-state-house-voting-bill-passage/index.html (accessed

Aug. 13, 2021).
6 Brian P. Kemp, “Governor Kemp Responds to President Biden’s Attack on Election Integrity Legislation,” Governor Brian P. Kemp Office of the

Governor, March 26, 2021, https://gov.georgia.gov/press-releases/2021-03-26/governor-kemp-responds-president-bidens-attack-election-integrity

(accessed Aug. 13, 2021).
7 https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20212022/201498.
8 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56650565.
9 Ken Blackwell, “Claiming State Voting Reforms Are Racist Is Ridiculous. I Should Know: Ken Blackwell,” USA Today, April 8, 2021,

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2021/04/08/voter-id-laws-and-racism-democrats-just-muddling-debate-column/7113493002/
(accessed Aug. 13, 2021).
10 https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20212022/201498.
11 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56650565.
12 Christina A. Cassidy, “GOP Targets Ballot Drop Boxes in Georgia, Florida, Elsewhere,” AP News, April 19, 2021,
https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-georgia-elections-coronavirus-pandemic-gubernatorial-elections-c083f5e0af7855c9dbb5a1659840c4a9
(accessed Aug. 13, 2021).
13 https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20212022/201498.
14 Faith Karimi, “It’s Now Illegal in Georgia to Give Food and Water to Voters in Line,” CNN, March 26, 2021,
https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/26/politics/georgia-voting-law-food-drink-ban-trnd/index.html (accessed Aug. 13, 2021).
15 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56650565.
16 https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/legislation/document/20212022/201498.

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May 2023.
 For the exclusive use of M. Wong, 2023.

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Appendix 2
Coke Puts Its Brand between a Rock and a Hard Place:
Aligning Activism with Brand Purpose
The Coca-Cola Company History, Purpose, and Controversy1

Background

On May 8, 1886, Dr. John Pemberton sold the first Coca-Cola (Coke) beverage at Jacobs’ Pharmacy in
Atlanta, Georgia, for five cents. Considered an innovative and new type of beverage, the drink combined syrup
and carbonated water and was described as “delicious and refreshing.” Since its founding, Coke had “been a
catalyst for social interaction and inspired innovation,” with actions including the following: the first woman to
serve on the board of a major company (1935); launching a nutrition project to find a solution to the “protein
gap” (1966); creating the Coca-Cola Foundation, which gave back 1% of its prior year’s operating income to
women, water, and well-being (1984); introducing PlantBottle packaging (2009); and launching the 5by20
Initiative to enable the economic empowerment of 5 million women entrepreneurs by 2020 (2010).2

As the “the World’s Largest Nonalcoholic Beverage Company” as of 2021, Coke operated in over 200
countries and territories and sold over 500 beverage brands—including carbonated beverages (e.g., Coke,
Sprite), water (e.g., smartwater, Dasani), coffee (e.g., Costa), tea (e.g., Gold Peak, Honest), juices (e.g., Minute
Maid), milk (fairlife), and hydration drinks (Powerade).3 Exhibits 2–4 provide information on revenue
performance over time and market share.

Purpose

The company’s purpose was to “refresh the world and make a difference.”4 The stated vision was to “craft
the brands and choice of drinks that people love, to refresh them in body and spirit. And done in ways that
create a more sustainable business and better shared future that makes a difference in people’s lives,
communities and our planet.”5 There were three elements of the purpose: (1) to create loved brands that
refreshed people, (2) to do so in a sustainable manner, and (3) to ensure a better shared future. See Exhibit 5
for a summary of the company’s purpose and Exhibit 6 for a letter from chairman and CEO James Quincey
regarding the company’s purpose.

Coke Controversy

As of 2021, the Georgia voting law was the most recent in a string of controversies that the company had
courted with regard to race. In the 1960s, Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. told his followers “to go out and
tell your neighbors not to buy Coca-Cola…because they haven’t been fair in their hiring policies.”6 In 1981,
Reverend Jesse Jackson led a boycott of the company demanding more hiring of Black executives, more
advertising dollars spent with Black firms, and more money placed in Black banks. Jackson and the company

1 All information on company history came from “The Birth of a Refreshing Idea: Coca-Cola History,” Coca-Cola Company, 2021, https://www.coca-

colacompany.com/company/history/the-birth-of-a-refreshing-idea (accessed Aug. 24, 2021).

2 “10 Things You Didn’t Know about Coca-Cola’s Sustainability History,” Coca-Cola Company, August 18, 2017, https://www.coca-

colacompany.com/news/coca-colas-sustainability-history (accessed Aug. 9, 2021).

3 “About the Coca-Cola Company,” Coca-Cola Company, 2021, https://investors.coca-colacompany.com/about (accessed Aug. 9, 2021).
4 “Our Purpose,” Coca-Cola Company, 2021, https://investors.coca-colacompany.com/about/our-purpose (accessed Aug. 9, 2021).
5 https://investors.coca-colacompany.com/about/our-purpose.
6 Charles Bethea, “Georgia’s Voting Laws and Coca-Cola’s Complicated History,” New Yorker, April 19, 2021, https://www.newyorker.com/news/us-

journal/georgias-voting-laws-and-coca-colas-complicated-history (accessed Aug. 9, 2021).

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May 2023.
 For the exclusive use of M. Wong, 2023.

Page 17 UV8378

agreed that the company would spend $30 million on Black-owned businesses and place a Black executive on
the board of directors.7 In the late 1990s, four former and current employees claimed the company was
systematically biased against Black employees and filed a lawsuit. A group of “justice riders” (current and former
Black employees of Coke) called for a worldwide boycott on Coke products saying that they needed their
message to be heard.8 Jackson attacked the company for failing to hire managers and board members that
reflected its consumer base and urged the company to settle the lawsuit.9 The lawsuit was settled for over $190
million after an internal investigation prompted the company’s leaders to believe that it was the right thing to
do.10

In addition to race-related issues, the company faced growing criticism over the health of some of its
beverages. In 2015, medical journal reports suggested that to maintain a healthy weight, people should worry
more about exercise and less about cutting calories.11 The research turned into a scandal as it was discovered
that Coke was sponsoring the research. David Katz, founding director of the Prevention Research Center at
Yale University, suggested: “…the revelation of Coca-Cola’s undisclosed sponsorship is a public health scandal
because it’s an enormous conflict of interest. For a company that sells highly-caloric drinks to sponsor a message
suggesting exercise may be more important than food turns it into willfully-manipulated gobbled-gook. You
can’t lose weight with exercise alone.”12 In 2019, the Washington Post reported that Coke’s public relations goals
and plans included changing (i.e., improving) the health perception of Coke among teens. Further, the article
highlighted that childhood obesity rates had “tripled since the 1970s, an increase that puts children at greater
risk of diabetes, heart disease, and health problems.”13 Gary Ruskin, codirector of US Right to Know, said after
reviewing documents from Coke: “One of these (themes) is Coca-Cola’s efforts to evade responsibility for the
global obesity epidemic…What’s insidious here is a health campaign that is using tobacco’s tactics, promoting
alternative science in a way that advances the notion that sugary sodas aren’t really so bad for people’s health.”14
A spokesman for Coke indicated that the documents predated the company’s decision to stop funding physical
activity programs. Another example suggested that emails in 2015 showed that Coke leveraged contacts within
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to encourage the agency to transfer blame regarding diet and
obesity away from sugar-sweetened beverages.15 Finally, in June 2021, Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the most
famous soccer players in the world, moved two Coke bottles out of view during a press conference as he said
“agua” and grabbed a bottle of water.16 This was not the first time Ronaldo expressed dislike for Coke products.
In 2020, he was asked if his son had what it took to be a professional. Ronaldo responded by saying: “Not yet.
I’m hard with him sometimes because he drinks Coca-Cola and Fanta sometimes and I’m p%$$# with him.”17
Ronaldo’s moving the bottles at the press conference turned Coke’s sponsorship into a global story about the
unhealthiness of its products, with other athletes following suit.18

7 Washington Area Spark, “Jesse Jackson Announces Coke Boycott: 1981,” Flickr, 2021,
https://www.flickr.com/photos/washington_area_spark/50068543637 (accessed Aug. 9, 2021).
8 , “Jesse Jackson Criticizes Coca-Cola for Lack of Manager Diversity,” Wall Street Journal, April 20, 2000,
https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB956185154650769037 (accessed Aug. 9, 2021).
9 https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB956185154650769037.
10 https://www.newyorker.com/news/us-journal/georgias-voting-laws-and-coca-colas-complicated-history.
11 Anahad O’Connor, “Coca-Cola Funds Scientists Who Shift Blame for Obesity Away from Bad Diets,” New York Times, August 9, 2015,

https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/08/09/coca-cola-funds-scientists-who-shift-blame-for-obesity-away-from-bad-diets/ (accessed Aug. 9, 2021).

12 Sari Harrar, “The Coke Controversy: The Marketing Message that Could Spell Trouble for People Dealing with Diabetes and Obesity,” Endocrine

Web, March 7, 2019, https://www.endocrineweb.com/news/diabetes/coke-controversy-marketing-message-could-spell-trouble (accessed Aug. 9,

2021).
13 Laura Reiley, “Coca-Cola Internal Documents Reveal Efforts to Sell to Teens, Despite Obesity Crisis,” Washington Post, December 18, 2019,

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/12/18/coca-cola-internal-documents-reveal-efforts-sell-teens-despite-obesity-crisis/ (accessed Aug.

9, 2021).
14 https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/12/18/coca-cola-internal-documents-reveal-efforts-sell-teens-despite-obesity-crisis/.
15 Jesse Chase-Lubitz, “Coca-Cola Tried to Influence CDC on Research and Policy, New Report States,” Politico, January 29, 2019,

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/01/29/coke-obesity-sugar-research-1125003 (accessed Aug. 9, 2021).

16 Jacob Camenker, “Cristiano Ronaldo Moves Coca-Cola Bottles at Press Conference, Company’s Value Drops $4 Billion,” Sporting News, June 16,

2021, https://www.sportingnews.com/us/soccer/news/cristiano-ronaldo-coca-cola/89ae9fw9ad2s1feienfa8b57q (accessed Aug. 9, 2021).

17 Ryan Sidle, “Cristiano Ronaldo Says He Gets ‘P*ssed Off’ When His Son Drinks Coca-Cola,” Sport Bible, December 28, 2020,

https://www.sportbible.com/football/funny-ronaldo-says-he-gets-pssed-off-when-his-son-drinks-coca-cola-20201228 (accessed Aug. 9, 2021).

18 David Moore, “This Coca-Cola Saga Won’t End; Here’s Every Player/Coach Involved with Bizarre Trend,” 18, June 17, 2021,

https://the18.com/en/soccer-entertainment/players-moving-coca-cola-bottles-list (accessed Aug. 9, 2021).

This document is authorized for use only by Man Wa Wong in CB 3043: Business Case Analysis & Communication taught by Eunyoung Song, City University of Hong Kong from Jan 2023 to
May 2023.